I Will Come With You
by LobsterLobster
Summary: It's been years since Luke has even heard from Mara, so when she shows up on Yavin IV unannounced, he's happy to see her but worried about what she isn't saying. Slow burn Luke/Mara COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

I'll Come With You

A/N: This is my first new fic in a long time and my first real Luke/Mara story. I have several chapters ready/planned. Please review!

Chapter 1

The Jade Fire dropped through Yavin IV's atmosphere and, after a brief exchange on the comms, settled gently onto the empty landing field. Mara ran through her shutdown procedures and lowered the ramp.

Standing on the trampled grass, she took in the hum of jungle insects and the old stone buildings. Much more of it was covered in crawling vines than she remembered from her last visit. Had it really been that long?

It turned out that Luke was with some students on a camping trip but was due back later that day, so Mara ended up wandering around the Academy. She skirted the cafeteria and the busy classrooms, walking instead down the corridors of the living quarters.

She stopped outside Luke's room. She'd been there before, once or twice, and decided that he wouldn't mind if she waited for him inside.

Skywalker's room was surprisingly messy. There was a small table strewn with various tools and the electronic innards of a couple remote droids used in lightsaber training. The only chair was occupied by a haphazard pile of clothes.

Mara sat down on the end of Skywalker's bed. The room was cluttered but, Mara decided, rather cozy. The long curtains covering the window were a soft blue color, no doubt a gift from Organa Solo. There was a miniature X-wing model sitting on a shelf amidst stacks of holo disks and even some old fashioned books.

Mara took a long steadying breath and let herself fall into the Force. It had been a long time since she had properly meditated and now was as good a time as any. She could feel the echoes of Skywalker's presence around her and, as she stretched her senses out further, people moving about the Academy and the buzz of living things in the jungle.

Somewhere out there was Skywalker. She got an image of him trudging through thick underbrush, carrying a small child on his back, a sense of weary amusement about him. No doubt he'd let the kid convince him to let them come along, even though it was a difficult hike.

Mara pulled back from the brief mental touch without saying a proper Hello. No need to alarm him, she told herself. He'll figure out I'm here soon enough.

Her thoughts began to drift. The Force was like a cool tide swirling around her, calling her to set down her burdens, to lay back and let go. Her eyes still closed, feeling the currents of the Force flowing through her body, she stretched out on the bed. The faint scent of the pillow brought back a memory of a feeling, but she was already falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the sun was bright in the windows, spilling over the room and waking Mara gradually. She blinked her eyes and for a moment stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. Then she turned her head to the side and was face to face with a sleeping Luke Skywalker.

Mara sat up quickly. The sudden movement jostled Skywalker, waking him.

"What are you doing here?" Mara demanded.

"Well. I do live here," he said, sounding half asleep.

It was a fair point. Mara swung her feet over the side of the bed and rubbed her face with her hands.

"Good morning," Luke said behind her.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said, trailing off. She dared glance back at him.

"I figured as much," Luke said, sitting up and stretching his arms.

His hair was messy from sleep and he was tan from days spent in the sun. He was painfully more real than the version of him in her memories. _I missed you_ , Mara swallowed the words before they escaped.

"You know," Luke smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, "It's a pretty lousy ambush when you fall asleep, Mara."

It was way too early for how cheerful he sounded.

"I wasn't trying to ambush you," Mara muttered. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I almost did, but it was already late and I could sense that you needed the rest," Luke answered.

Mara didn't respond and instead busied herself with unbraiding her messy hair and brushing it out with her fingers.

"I wasn't expecting a supply run, but I guess we're due for one. You should have told me you were coming, I would have been there to meet you," Luke was saying.

He made no move to get up, seemingly perfectly at ease having this conversation while sitting on his bed.

"Not a supply run," Mara said, avoiding his eyes.

"Oh," Luke said, then worry creeping into his voice, "Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

"No." Mara felt frustration building. "Does the galaxy have to be in peril for me to show up? Can't I just come for a visit?"

The words had sounded sarcastic in her head but they came out with a hint of something raw in her voice. A feeling of vulnerability that was both unfamiliar and unwelcome. Sure enough, Luke picked up on it. His expression softened.

"Of course, Mara. You can stay as long as you like," he said with genuine warmth.

After so much time around people who were not Force sensitive, suddenly being around Luke again was a bit of a shock. She could feel his presence through the Force, pulsing brightly, filling every corner of the room.

He was quiet for a moment then added, "I'm really happy you're here."

"Yes, I know. Your happiness is blinding," Mara said, waving her hand dismissively and shaking her head like it hurt her eyes to even look in his direction.

Luke smiled, looking a tad embarrassed. He raised his mental shields and the wash of his emotions faded to a manageable glow.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"A bit," Mara answered.

Luke got up and stretched.

"What are you doing?" he asked when he noticed Mara taking off her boots.

"Going back to sleep," she laid down again, draping an arm over her eyes to block out the sunlight, "You said I could stay, right?"

"Yeah," Luke said.

He clearly hadn't meant right there, in his bed, but she was already so comfortable and really did not feel like moving. She felt Luke tentatively reach out to her through the Force. She ignored him.

It felt like it had been months since she'd slept properly. Mara took a long, calming breath and cleared her mind, hardly noticing the soft sounds of Luke getting dressed, checking that the curtains were drawn over the window, and leaving to go teach his morning classes.

…

TBC!


	2. Chapter 2

I'll Come With You

Chapter 2

When Mara woke again it was late afternoon. She stopped in the busy cafeteria for a bite to eat and then made her way back to her ship.

She brought up the ship's computer and sure enough there were several new message alerts. All from Karrde. With a flash of irritation, she flicked the screen away and initialized a full systems diagnostic which, judging by the red warning messages already filling up, was long overdue.

She was about an hour into a painstaking manual realignment of the starboard deflector array when a chime alerted her to a visitor loitering near the ship. Mara reached over to a nearby console and pulled up the surveillance feed. Skywalker.

She tapped the command to lower the boarding ramp and picked up her tools again.

"Mara?" that familiar voice called.

"Over here!" she called over her shoulder.

Mara replaced a series of bolts as she listened to his footsteps grow closer.

"Hey," he said by way of greeting, "You know, for a moment I was afraid you were going to leave without saying goodbye."

Mara shot him a look. "I wouldn't do that."

"I know…" he said, a little taken aback.

"Well you can relax. I'm just making repairs," Mara said in a kinder tone.

Luke was visibly relieved.

"I'm ashamed to say it but even if I wanted to leave I don't think I'd get far. The poor girl's had a brutal couple months," Mara sighed, patting the decking affectionately, "The deflector shields are the least of my problems."

"That bad, huh?" Luke said.

Mara took a reading before sparing him a glance. He clearly wanted to ask something and she had a feeling it wasn't concerning her maintenance tasks. She let the silence draw out until he broke. It didn't take long.

"Mara…" he started.

"What is it this time?" Mara snapped at him.

"What?" Luke blinked.

So much for keeping her cool. Mara groaned internally. First Karrde and now Skywalker. Why couldn't anyone let her have a moment of peace to sort things out for herself without having to answer a hundred questions and expectations?!

"Aren't you here to convince me to stay and complete my Jedi training? It's the only way to fulfill my potential. The Republic needs my help. The Force is leading me here. It's my destiny," Mara counted each one off on her fingers, "I've heard it all. So what's the reason this time?"

Luke broke her gaze, leaned back against the bulkhead and turned his head to look at her, "Why do I need a reason? Can't I just want you to stay?"

The honesty in his voice and the open vulnerability in his eyes surprised Mara. He started to smile, like he'd won a point against her.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

"What?" he said, innocently, smile still in place.

Mara raised an eyebrow, "I see what you're doing. You've run out of strategies and now you're trying to use that farm boy charm to get me to stay."

Luke's smile grew wider, "So…you're saying you think I'm charming?"

"No, I'm saying _you_ think you're charming!" Mara didn't hesitate to correct him, but she couldn't help a smile of her own. She'd forgotten how much fun it was to tease him. She felt like it was only in these rare moments when they weren't arguing or fighting for their lives that she really saw him.

Luke laughed, "Well, I had to try! Nothing else has worked!"

Mara laughed with him, her earlier anxieties dissipating.

"Hey, if you're going to stay here, make yourself useful and hand me that hydrospanner, will you?"


	3. Chapter 3

I'll Come With You

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I've got more chapters planned, don't worry!

Summary: Luke gets an unexpected visitor late at night.

Chapter 3

After a long day of physical training, several counseling sessions with students, and a long meeting with some of the other teachers, it was well past midnight and Luke had finally fallen asleep when he heard a knock at the door. He rubbed his eyes and reached out with the Force to check who it was. _Mara._

She apparently took the Force touch as an invitation to enter because the next thing he knew, she was pushing open the door. Luke sat up and turned on a small lamp.

"I can't stay in the room they assigned me," Mara said by way of greeting.

"Oh?"

"There's something alive in there. Scurrying around with its little feet. I was going to find it and shoot it but then I thought you might not appreciate it if I miss and hit the wall or something," Mara explained.

"Thank you, that's very considerate," Luke answered, not entirely sure if he was awake enough to be having this conversation.

"So, I walked around to look for an empty room but I couldn't find one. I don't remember there being so many people here last time," Mara said as she took off her jacket and tossed it onto Luke's chair.

"We recently got more students, and more teachers, and some students' families decided to live here also…" Luke said.

"I would go sleep on my ship, but it's a downpour out there," Mara said as she sat on the edge of his bed and started kicking off her boots.

"Ah, well I guess…" Luke trailed off as he watched her pull up the corner of the light blanket and slide into bed beside him, "…you can sleep here."

"Thanks, Skywalker," she said quietly.

In seconds she was settled in and he could sense that she was already drifting off to sleep. Quite different from the first time we met, Luke thought to himself, remembering how she had trusted him so little that she hadn't slept at all during their three day trek through the jungle of Myrkr.

 _Now here she is, stealing my pillow._ Luke sighed and turned off the light.

…

Luke woke up the next morning feeling unexpectedly at peace. It was like something that he hadn't even realized had been bothering him had suddenly resolved itself.

He turned his head to see Mara Jade, her sleeping face only inches away.

A guilty feeling tugged at him. Here he was, feeling content and enjoying her presence while she was hurting. It'd been a long time since he'd seen Mara seem so conflicted. He wanted to help her but how could he if she wouldn't talk to him? She was so close, but at the same time more closed off from him than ever.

I'll wait, he decided. She said she couldn't leave until her ship repairs were finished anyway, so he had some time. He would wait for her to talk.

There was a subtle shift in Mara's Force presence and then her eyes opened and slowly focused on him. It was an intimate moment, watching someone wake up.

Luke smiled and said softly, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning, Lu-" Mara started to respond, but then she paused, realizing what he'd said.

She gave him an incredulous look, "What are you up to, Skywalker?"

"What?" Luke asked innocently.

"Don't say what. You know what," Mara gave him a gentle shove. She pushed back the covers and got out of bed.

Luke called after her, "Come on, Mara. Admit it. You like it."

"I like what?" she asked, looking over her shoulder as she stuck her feet into her boots.

"You know what," he said, but she rolled her eyes and looked around for her jacket.

"You like me," he tried again, now sitting up on the bed, hopeful and not a little bit nervous.

This got her attention. She turned to look at him and for a moment she was back to her usual self, the Mara Jade that he was familiar with. She coolly raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Really now?" she countered, daring him to go further.

"Well, at least a little bit, right?"

"Yeah, that's about right. I only like you a little bit," Mara said, barely managing to keep a straight face.


	4. Chapter 4

I'll Come With You

Chapter 4

"Good morning!"

"Good morning!"

Mara didn't have time to react before the Solo twins set their trays down at her table.

"Hello," she greeted them.

"Did you try the fruit? It's really good today," Jacen suggested.

Jaina, however, got right to the point, "How long are you staying? Are you going to become a Jedi too?"

Jacen shot his sister a look, but he couldn't hide his own curiosity.

"I'm visiting, that's all," Mara replied.

That wasn't much of an answer but thankfully they didn't press any further, surely a sign of Organa Solo's diplomatic influence. As they ate breakfast the twins filled Mara in on all the latest news at the Academy.

As they were taking their trays up to the window for the students on dishwashing duty, Jaina asked, "Are you coming on the morning run? We're going on the jungle path today."

"Yes, come with us!" Jacen added.

They both looked at her so expectantly and she really didn't have anything better to do, so she agreed.

It was nice to run for sheer pleasure of it for a change. She didn't remember the last time she'd run this hard for a reason other than imminent threat of death. Her heart pounded in her ears and her legs burned and the Force seemed to hum, urging her along. She felt like she was flying.

Until she looked ahead and realized how far she had fallen behind the teenagers. Mara slowed and rested her hands on her legs, taking deep breaths. Apparently it had been much longer than she thought since she'd trained like this. She took another deep breath and pushed herself onward.

After the run, the students went off to their classes and Mara headed for her ship.

She sat in the pilot's chair and put her feet up on the console with a sigh of relief. At least Skywalker wasn't there to witness that, she thought, taking a gulp of water.

The console showed several more missed messages from Karrde. Mara sighed again. She couldn't put it off forever.

She started the playback for the first received message. It was short, with barely contained temper. From there Karrde's messages progressed through bewildered and impatient to angry again but with a touch of hurt and finally to conciliatory. They could work this out, Karrde assured her with his easy confidence. He would welcome her back, give her more resources, more responsibility, anything she wanted.

As usual, he was acting like a few words could smooth everything over, Mara thought bitterly. She played out an imaginary conversation.

'Mara, thank goodness you finally responded. I was starting to worry. What are you doing?' Karrde would ask.

'Oh, nothing much. I spend my days working on the Fire and my nights getting cozy with Skywalker.'

Nope, that was not happening. Mara flicked the screen away. Karrde could handle waiting a little longer.

Mara downloaded the engine schematics and maintenance checklists to her datapad and got to work. Lost in her task, Mara worked straight through lunch and soon it was late afternoon and the surveillance system was alerting her to a visitor.

Mara set her tools down, wiped her arm across her forehead and, stopping briefly to grab a protein bar from the mess, went to lower the boarding ramp.

"What is it? Did Skywalker send you?" Mara said, slightly suspicious.

"No!" Jain Solo shook her head, "I came to help you with your repairs."

"Is that so? And how did you know I was doing repairs?" Mara asked.

"Uncle Luke told me…" Jaina trailed off, frowning, then almost to herself, "Maybe he did send me!"

Mara hid a smile.

"But it doesn't matter! I still want to help," Jaina said earnestly.

"What makes you think you're qualified?" Mara asked.

"I've been around my Dad and Chewie making repairs on the Falcon pretty much my whole life. I know all the ship's systems! They even let me help with the sensor arrays last time they were here," Jaina said.

Solo was legendarily protective of his ship and if he'd let the girl work on it, then she must have more than naïve enthusiasm going for her.

"Alright, come with me. I have one more test to run on the engines," Mara relented and Jaina beamed.

They had barely settled in to work when Jaina proudly announced, "One day, I'm going to be a starfighter pilot!"

"Is that so?"

"Yep, just like Uncle Luke!"

Mara was decidedly unimpressed, "Eh, don't you want to aim a little higher?"

Jaina was appalled, "How can you say that?! Uncle Luke is the best starfighter pilot in the galaxy! He fired the shot that destroyed the Death Star!"

"That's true," Mara conceded, "But then again, I've seen him crash a perfectly good Skipray blastboat into a forest. Would the galaxy's best pilot do something like that?"

Jaina chewed on that for a moment. "I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose! And besides, my Dad says that if you can walk away from it, it wasn't a crash, just a hard landing."

Mara laughed, "That sounds like him."

"So…" Jaina had switched from defiant to curious, "When did Uncle Luke crash a Skipray? Aren't those usually flown by smugglers and pirates?"

"You'll have to ask your uncle about that one."

….

Preview: Luke and Mara finally have a heart-to-heart.

A/N: I hope you're enjoying this story. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

I'll Come With You

Chapter 5

The sun sank low and the night creatures started to wake, their calls sounding from the jungle below. From her perch on the roof of one of the tallest sections of the old temple, Mara could see almost to the horizon. She watched the sky turn an inky blue, never quite black, and stars come into view. It was a rare clear night.

She wasn't surprised when she sensed him crossing the uneven stones towards her. Not that she'd been waiting for him.

He sat down beside her and wordlessly handed her a cup of something warm.

Mara raised an eyebrow questioningly but he only gave a small smile and took a sip from his own cup. Mara drank. It was smooth and sweet and warmed her throat in a pleasant way.

 _Thank you_ , Mara sent him through the Force. It was so peaceful, she didn't want to break the silence just yet. But Luke hadn't come to soak in the view.

"Mara, are you alright? Really?"

The honesty in his voice tugged at her. It always did. But old habits are hard to shake.

"I'm fine, Skywalker. Really." Mara brushed off his concern.

Luke took another drink from his cup and changed tactics, "Why did you come back?"

Mara looked at him directly for the first time since he sat down. She gave a small sigh and said, "Maybe I came back because I wanted to. It's been a long time, almost three years since I've been back here. Maybe I realized that I missed you, Skywalker. I missed your idealistic, overly cheerful, farmboy self."

For a moment there was a different look in his eyes and she found herself thinking, it would be so easy to lean over and… She broke his gaze.

"I am not overly cheerful," he finally managed.

Mara smiled. "You are, sometimes," she said, reaching out to tousle his hair affectionately.

It was an impulsive action and it wasn't until her fingers were already in his hair and the back of her mind was marveling at how soft it felt and wondering what it would feel like to… that she realized how badly her little diversionary tactic could backfire. Teasing him was one thing, but if she kept going like this, that was something else entirely.

Thankfully Luke laughed it off, playfully ducking away and brushing his hair back into some semblance of order.

Mara pulled her hand back and went quiet again, staring out at the jungle. It was now almost too dark to make out any details.

"I missed you too, Mara, but I don't think that's the only reason you came back," Luke said.

Mara watched a bird swoop low and disappear into the trees. Luke waited.

"I quit the Smuggler's Alliance. Karrde's organization. All of it. I'm done."

She could sense his surprise but he didn't say anything.

Mara continued, "I used to love smuggling. It was good money. Going where I pleased. I loved the challenge. The freedom. The past year, maybe longer, it's been… The people I used to run with, they're almost all retired or in prison. Or dead. It's not the same. My heart's not in it anymore. And it was starting to show, I guess.

This last job…It went bad. I don't know how else to say it. But not the usual way, how things never quite go to plan. It went bad in a big way. We got ambushed. The whole thing was a trick and I didn't see it coming, not like that.

Karrde was angrier than I've seen him in a very long time, if ever. He thought I'd botched the whole thing, let it slip through my fingers. I said it wasn't my fault, no way I could have foreseen what happened, but he did have a point. There was a chance, when the last of our people who were still alive had gotten out, I could have gone back. I could have taken my lightsaber and decimated the whole lot of them. But for what?

Anyway Karrde accused me of holding back, almost as if he was implying that I was deliberately sabotaging him. I should have fought back harder but I couldn't summon the fire to do it. Which made him yell more, because he thought I wasn't listening. But in that moment all I wanted to do was run away and leave it all far behind.

Then he said I was done, that he wanted me out. When I agreed, I saw the surprise on his face. He hadn't really meant to go that far. The last thing he expected me to do was to walk away without a fight. But I did. I left…and I ended up here."

Mara let her words hang in the air for a moment before turning to look at him.

"Do you regret it?" he asked.

"Yes. No," Mara sighed, "I don't regret leaving. I think if I'd stayed, things would only have gotten worse. But I regret how it happened. Karrde had this whole future planned out for me and I simply turned my back and left without another word. After all these years…that was really cruel of me."

"Mara, you had to do what was right for you," Luke said.

"I know, but still…" she let the thought trail off.

They were quiet for a while longer before Luke stood up. She glanced up at him and for a moment it seemed like he was about to say something.

"Don't worry about me, Skywalker. I won't be out here long. I have a call to make."

Luke nodded. "Goodnight, Mara."

"Goodnight," she replied, watching him leave.

…

TBC!

Preview: Mara has another conversation that she's been avoiding and comes to a realization.


	6. Chapter 6

I'll Come With You

Chapter 6

Mara opened the comm interface and input Karrde's private frequency, tapped 'Send', then sat back in her chair and waited for him to respond.

Watching the little status light blink, she felt irritated at Karrde all over again. He was the one who had this whole life set out for her. But his plans for her future were hardly a secret, and she'd never before questioned it. It wasn't fair to blame him.

Before long, the comm pinged. A small hologram appeared and they exchanged routine code phrases.

"Are you okay?" Karrde asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She paused and Karrde started to ask something but Mara cut him off, "Listen, I have to tell you something."

He nodded, waiting.

Mara took a deep breath and let it out.

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? That's it?" Karrde bristled.

"Will you let me finish?" This was going great.

"Yes, go on," he said.

"I'm sorry for how that last mission played out. I could have handled it better. I shouldn't have left the way I did," Mara said. It was a bit of a silted apology, but she hoped he could see her sincerity.

"And you should have contacted me sooner," Karrde added on.

"I know. I had to figure some things out for myself," Mara attempted to explain.

Karrde rubbed a hand over his face, even in miniature looking more tired than she'd seen him in a long time.

"So what is this then? You're taking a vacation?"

"Sort of."

A pause. "Are you coming back?"

"I don't think so, Karrde. I'm sorry."

"You keep saying that. Can you at least tell me where you are?"

"Yavin IV."

Karrde sighed, "So that's it, huh? You've finally gone to finish your Jedi training."

Mara found herself nodding. She hadn't gotten that far yet, but now that she was facing it, that finally felt like the next step in front of her.

"Alright. I can't say I'm particularly happy, but alright. You have to find your own path. Just remember that my door is always open, Mara."

"Thank you. I mean it."

"May the Force be with you," Karrde said with his trademark sardonic smile and cut the connection.

…

Mara lay awake in her bunk on the Fire. She felt a bit embarrassed for how hesitant she'd been to talk things out with Luke. I don't give him enough credit, she thought.

Instead of giving her some pointless reassurances about how Karrde would understand, or how it was all for the best because now she was here, he had simply said that he trusted her judgment. Maybe that was all the reassurance she needed.

But something kept nagging at her. Had he been about to say something? As she drifted off to sleep, Mara replayed the scene in her mind.

They sat in thoughtful silence, sipping their hot chocolate, before Luke got to his feet. Mara glanced up at him and for a moment it seemed like he was about to say something but he hesitated.

"If you've got something on your mind, please just say it!"

Luke smiled at her directness.

"Are you coming to bed?" He says it casually, like he's asking if she's coming to the cafeteria for lunch, but what he really means is right there. Is she coming to bed with him?

It's a fair question, she supposes, after the last two nights. Was that enough for him to presume?

Floundering, he adds, "To sleep. I meant just to sleep, that's all. I swear."

Sleeping next to him had been completely unintentional the first time and only halfway unintentional the second time. It had felt comfortable. Comforting.

She gave a small nod, "I'll be along."

…

TBC!

Preview: Luke gets some news from an unexpected source!


	7. Chapter 7

I'll Come With You

Chapter 7

Luke Skywalker was setting up mats and wooden staffs for his Intermediate Martial Arts class when his niece ran up to him.

"Hello Jaina," Luke said, "You're early!"

Jaina apparently had no time for pleasantries, as she jumped right into it, "Uncle Luke, can I be Mara Jade's apprentice after she finishes her training and after I graduate, too?"

Luke paused what he was doing.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Jaina. You still have a couple more years before you graduate."

"I know that!" Jaina looked at him expectantly.

"And Mara is just visiting. She hasn't decided to finish her training, so -" Luke started but was cut off.

"Uh, yes she has! She told me this morning!"

Luke was caught off-guard, "Oh?"

"Yep, she's going to stay and finish her training and become a Jedi, officially!"

Why didn't she tell me first? Luke thought. She could have told him last night. Or this morning at breakfast! For something this important, Mara should have told him herself.

"Well, can I? Be her apprentice?" Jaina persisted, oblivious to Luke's internal confusion.

"That's not my decision. And, my dear, not yours either. It's traditionally up to the mentor to choose their apprentice, not the other way around. And you have plenty of time before you get to that point," Luke explained.

He hated to crush her enthusiasm, so he tried to soften the news with an affectionate squeeze of her shoulder.

"Okay," Jaina sighed. "I understand, Uncle Luke."

"Alright, now go on and take your seat," he said. Other students were starting to arrive.

Jaina nodded and started to move away but then turned back.

"And I'm sorry," she said with a small grimace.

"For what?" Luke asked.

"When Mara told me she was staying, I assumed you already knew," Jaina said, apparently more observant than he gave her credit for.

Jaina went to chat with her brother and other friends and Luke hurried to finish setting up. After a few minutes he managed to get the class settled down.

He sat with crossed legs on his own mat in front of the lines of students and rested his hands on his knees. Luke closed his eyes and led them through a breathing exercise. He liked to start classes with a short meditation. It tended to help the students to be more focused.

But today Luke was the one having trouble focusing his thoughts.

It was okay that Mara didn't tell him first. Really, it was. The important thing was that she had decided to stay after all.

That's what he wanted. Mara was going to stay. She'd quit smuggling, so there was nothing to pull her away.

It was good news.

So why wasn't he happy?

He was happy she was staying but there was something bothering him.

The meditation wasn't working. He was too distracted. Luke sank deeper into the Force. It felt like an intangible ocean shifting and swirling around him. It was here that he usually found the peace that he sought.

Then the answer came to him. It was right there, with Mara sitting beside him watching the sun set over the jungle. Mara smiling and teasing him. Saying that she missed him, that she'd come back because she missed him.

It surprised Luke how badly he wanted her words to be completely true. That somehow, completely without warning, she'd come back just for him.

 _Stop it. Don't be so selfish._ Luke started to shake himself out of his trance. Mara was here and she was staying. That was all that mattered. He was happy for her and would do everything he could to help her on her journey.

A hushed voice said, "Did he fall asleep?"

"Shhh!"

"But seriously, are we going to meditate all day?"

Luke snapped open his eyes and the restless youngsters immediately quieted, sitting up extra straight. Luke narrowed his eyes. They would do extra push-ups today, he decided.

…...

TBC!

Preview: Mara's Jedi training is progressing well, but maybe this time Luke is asking too much of her!


	8. Chapter 8

I'll Come With You

Chapter 8

"I swear, Skywalker, if you try that 'Do or do not, there is no try' nonsense on me one more time, I'm going to hit you!"

" _Mara_. It's not nonsense. It means that if you try to do something but don't fully believe that you can, then you're not going to be able to do it."

"A self-fulfilling prophecy. I get that. But what I'm saying is, sometimes it doesn't matter what you believe, or what you want, there's no way to know what's going to happen. You just have to try and see what happens," Mara tried to explain.

"Okay, okay. So let's try again," Luke said.

It was so frustrating how he never gave in to frustration. Mara let out a long breath and focused again on her connection to the Force.

She reached out, out past where she and Luke were sitting, feeling the humid air, the trampled grass, and held the shape of the X-wing in her mind. She felt the weight of it, the landing gear pressing into the dirt, the dirt pressing back against the skids.

She exerted pressure, gradually increasing, on the landing gear, the underside of the fuselage, the wings. The metal creaked and…

nothing.

The starfighter refused to move.

It was no good. Mara sighed in defeat. She flopped backwards and kicked her feet out, preferring a view of the sky.

"Luke, this is pointless. I can't do everything you can do," she said, rubbing her tired eyes.

"But that's the thing," Luke frowned, looking down at her, the sun making it hard to focus on his face, "You _can_ do just about everything that I can. I can sense the power in you, the potential is there. You're about to take the next step but…you're holding back."

That was the last straw. Mara sat up again and fixed him with a look. "How am I holding back? Are you saying I'm not trying? I am! I know how to levitate objects. I know the technique. Do you know who taught me? The Emperor."

That last word hung in the air and Mara looked away. She didn't like bringing up that part of her past but she was at a loss here. Maybe this whole thing had been a mistake.

After a moment Luke spoke again, his voice thoughtful, "Maybe I was wrong and you're not holding back. Maybe something else is holding you back."

"What do you mean?" Mara asked.

"Did you ever think that maybe the Emperor taught you enough to make you useful, but not enough to make you dangerous? That maybe he saw your potential and he intentionally blocked you from reaching your full power?"

Mara looked at him. That monster had put his last command into her head, driving her nearly to the point of madness trying to follow it, and now maybe there was something else the Emperor had left in her mind? She'd thought she was free! Luke's eyes were calm, compassionate. It was too much.

She stood up and paced away from him.

"Mara?" he called.

"I need to stretch my legs," she said.

Mara walked around the X-wing, running her hand along the hardened metal, dented and scarred from a thousand tiny impacts, a hundred firefights. She knew Skywalker was sentimental about his X-wing, but he really needed to get an upgrade before the whole thing fell apart on him.

Completing her circuit, Mara returned and sat down beside Luke again.

"One more time," she said.

"I'll follow along beside you this time," Luke said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay," she said, and started again. One more try.

She sank into the Force, blocking out distractions, feeling the pull of life around her, then Luke's presence at the back of her mind, as if she was walking down a path and he was one step behind her, putting his feet in her footprints. She used to be bothered when he did that, but now it was less of an intrusion and more of an anchor.

She reached out, felt the air moving slowly, the sun warming the X-wing, its shape distinct in her mind. The weight of the ship pressed down against the ground and the ground pressed back. Focusing, she pressed up against the underbelly of the X-wing, increasing bit by bit, careful to keep the pressure even across the whole ship.

She pressed a little harder.

A voice, so quiet that it took her a moment to process the words, " _No. That's enough._ "

It was unmistakable. It was the same voice she used to hear in her mind, directing her on secret missions across the galaxy.

She saw her younger self, standing in a bright training room, the walls grey and uniform, struggling to use the Force to move a heavy crate set before her. Finally, it lifted into the air.

"Good." One word of rare praise.

Filled with pride, before the next instruction came, she focused on the larger crate, this one at least as big as she was and several times heavier. It creaked, scraped against the floor for a second, rose about a hand's width into the air.

Then, "No. That's enough. You're dismissed for the day."

" _Mara_ ," Luke's voice in the back of her mind, calling her away from the past.

It's over, she told herself. The Emperor is long dead. He's gone and he can't reach me anymore. I can do this. Mara focused again, on the X-wing, holding it, pressing up and up and up.

"Mara, open your eyes," Luke said out loud.

Careful not to break her concentration, she opened her eyes.

The X-wing hung in the air, high enough that she could stand up, walk beneath it and reach her hand up and still not touch it.

A moment of excitement, then intense focus once more because now she had to bring it back to the ground…very carefully…very gently. She was not going to damage Skywalker's precious X-wing right in front of him.

The seconds crawled by as it lowered, bit by bit, until with only a small thud, the skids settled onto the ground.

Luke jumped to his feet, grinning ear to ear, "See! I knew you could do it!"

He reached out a hand to help her up and pulled her into a hug. His enthusiasm was contagious. Mara hugged him back, caught up in the joy of the moment and Luke's warmth. It felt so good that Mara was hit with a pang of regret. Why did she wait so long to come back?

"Mara, that was amazing!" Luke was saying. He rubbed her back and pulled away, before she was ready.

He noticed she wasn't smiling. "What is it?"

Mara looked back at the X-wing, sitting in the same spot it had been in all morning as if nothing at all had happened.

"You're worried that the Emperor might have left something else in your mind," Luke said, more a statement than a question.

Mara nodded, letting out a shaky breath. "I thought I was over all that."

"I don't think there's anything else," Luke said.

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I don't. But I just have a feeling. And if there is anything else, we'll face it together," Luke said. He squeezed her arm and his expression was earnest, "I promise."

"Okay," Mara said, softening.

Together they walked towards the cafeteria. Mara hadn't realized how hungry she was until she glanced at her chrono and saw that they were about to miss lunch service.

"I have to confess, for a second there I was afraid the whole thing was going to come crashing down," Luke said, grimacing a little at the thought.

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence!" Mara said, even though she'd definitely had the exact same worry. She gave him a playful shove.

Luke laughed, "I'm sorry! I only doubted for a second, I swear!"

…...

TBC!

A/N: This is actually one of my favorite chapters. It came to me unexpectedly. I hope you liked it! ;)

Preview: It's time for what you've all been waiting for! Someone breaks down and confesses their feelings! But who will it be?


	9. Chapter 9

I'll Come With You

Chapter 9

It hadn't taken Mara long to settle in to life at the Academy. She found she enjoyed the routine, the challenges, getting to know the other Jedi. The past few weeks had gone by fast.

Since her breakthrough with levitating Skywalker's X-wing, her training had taken on a whole new pace. Things that she had struggled with before were now as easy as walking. She was capable of things that she hadn't even known were possible. She was easily one of the top students which, she had to admit, felt pretty nice.

But there was one thing bothering her, even though she tried to ignore it. Mara hated that feeling, when she thought she had everything sorted out but then all of a sudden something shifts a little and she's unsure all over again.

Mara set down her dinner tray at her usual table towards the back of the cafeteria. It had a good view of all the exits and was slightly quieter than the rest of the busy room.

After a long day and a strenuous workout, she was starving. She let the buzz of the other students and instructors wash over her as she ate. The Solo twins, trailed by their younger brother, greeted her cheerfully as they passed by on their way to sit with their friends.

Almost as if he'd been summoned by her brooding, Luke appeared and set down his tray to join her.

Before Luke could talk, another Jedi stopped by, "Hey, Jade, we still on for a sparring session tomorrow?"

"Of course!" Mara said, "I'll see you then."

After her friend left, Mara realized that Luke was staring at her.

"I thought we were going to spar one-on-one," he said.

"Yeah, but you have classes all day tomorrow," Mara said. She pointed a fork at Luke, "You know, I might know your schedule better than you do!"

Luke was evidently not in the mood for teasing, "I'll find time."

"Okay," Mara shrugged, "Whenever."

"I've been thinking about our next training session. You've mastered telekinesis, so next we can practice some Force Healing techniques and -"

Mara cut him off, "Actually, I already promised to help out with the rock climbing trip that day. Another time?"

"Okay. Sure," Luke said, and Mara tried to ignore how dejected he looked.

They ate in quiet for a few moments before Luke broke the silence. "Mara, is something wrong?"

"I don't know," she looked up at him, her words guarded, "Is there?"

"I can't help but feel like you've been avoiding me lately."

"How am I avoiding you? We eat together almost every day. I attend all of your advanced classes. I see you all the time!"

Luke watched her until she met his eyes, "You're avoiding spending time alone with me."

"Hey there," Mara smirked, automatically deflecting, "If I didn't know better, I'd say it sounds like you have feelings for me, Skywalker."

As soon as she said it she knew it was a mistake. Not least of all because he was right. She hadn't been outright avoiding him, exactly, but she had been spending less time with him ever since her breakthrough with the levitating X-wing. Or, more specifically, since their hug.

Luke looked at her square on, "Maybe I do."

Mara blinked. "…What?"

"I'm not made of stone, Mara," he said. He got up and started to clear his tray, even though he'd barely touched his food.

He had nearly made it to the exit when Mara caught up to him. She grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her. But no words came. And even if she knew what to say, she sure didn't want to say it there, with everyone watching. So she led the way out of the cafeteria, practically dragging Luke behind her.

The nearest quiet, empty place Mara could think of was the rooftop where she often liked to sit and watch the sun set. Once they were alone in the open space, Mara finally released her grip. Luke rubbed his arm, wincing a little.

Mara crossed her arms over her chest.

"Explain yourself."

"Mara," he said, sounding vulnerable and earnest, "I'm in love with you."

Something caught in her throat. Again, she couldn't speak.

Luke continued, "I've cared about you a long time, for years, basically the whole time we've been friends, Mara. But I think it was only when you appeared in my room, suddenly back in my life without explanation…I don't know. It felt like you'd come back to me because I was a safe place for you, and it opened something in me. A possibility. Like everything I'd held back, never allowed myself to feel, suddenly was right there. I realized how badly I'd missed you and how badly I wanted you to stay by my side."

Mara blinked back tears. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, her voice small.

Luke gave a small smile and a half shrug, "I tried to."

"No you didn't. You didn't try at all. I had no idea you felt this way," Mara said. She pushed a few stray hairs back behind her ears and then crossed her arms again.

"I was trying to find the right moment, or the right words…Did you really not know? What about that moment when we were celebrating after you lifted my X-wing, when you hugged me? I was sure you felt something then."

Mara sniffed, trying and failing not to cry. "Yeah, I did feel it," she said, reaching for him then.

Luke opened his arms and held her against his chest, reaching for her in the Force at the same time. Before, whenever she'd felt the strength of their connection, of their feelings for each other, she'd held back. She'd always held back, not knowing what to do and so doing nothing, but this time was different. It felt like a rush of warmth, of relief like a huge weight she hadn't known she'd been carrying her whole life had fallen off her shoulders.

Mara pulled back a little, draped her arms around his neck and leaned into a kiss. It was tender and sweet and better than she'd imagined. When they broke apart Luke was grinning, his blue eyes crinkling with joy. In that moment he was so beautiful and so dear to her, it almost hurt her heart to look at him.

"What are you laughing at?" Mara asked, but his smile was contagious.

"Myself. I can't believe I was so anxious about talking to you," Luke said. He rested his hands on her waist and leaned his forehead against hers.

"It's not like you to be scared of anything," Mara said.

"I've had my heart broken before, you know. I didn't think I could bear it if you rejected me."

Mara cupped his face in her hands and looked into his eyes, "Luke Skywalker, I promise I'll never break your heart." _Because if I ever did, I know it'd break mine too._

Luke kissed her then, holding her tight and in that moment it felt like nothing else in the galaxy could ever hurt them. They were so lost in the kiss that neither one noticed the dark clouds rolling across the sky nor even the first fat drops of rain.

The scattered raindrops quickly turned into a massive downpour, soaking Luke and Mara almost instantly.

"Come on!" Luke grabbed her hand and together they dashed across the rooftop and back indoors, both laughing and breathless.

….

TBC!

Preview: Luke does something a bit impulsive!

A/N: Only one more chapter! And maybe a little epilogue.


	10. Chapter 10

I'll Come With You

Chapter 10

Luke woke up with a feeling sort of like relief, like he was finally home after the end of a long journey, but he was in the same room he'd been living in for years. The only difference was that now he wasn't alone.

Mara Jade was tucked in beside him, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped over him. It felt so good to hold her close like this. For a moment he felt a tug of regret. Why did they wait so long to do this? Why did they have to waste so many years apart, when it could have been like this all along?

 _Because neither of us were ready until we were ready._ Luke banished those what-if's. They had their whole futures ahead of them and that was all that mattered now.

Apparently while he'd been lost in thought Mara had woken up and now she was tracing a pattern with her finger on his chest. She shifted a bit so she could look at him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Luke said.

Mara pulled a face. "What happened to 'Good morning, beautiful'?"

Luke laughed. "I'm sorry. Good morning, beautiful."

"That's more like it," Mara laughed, leaning over and kissing him.

*Knock*Knock*

The sound took a moment to register and Luke was very tempted to ignore it.

Then came a louder knock and a muffled voice, "Master Skywalker?"

Mara pulled back, "What is that?"

"Oh no…" Luke winced, rubbing a hand over his face, "My class. I completely forgot."

Mara groaned, laying back beside him, "Tell them to go away."

"I can't just tell them to go away," Luke said, keeping his voice low as he got up and searched around for his clothes.

"Then tell them you're sick," Mara suggested. She made no move to get out of bed, instead pulling the blanket up and looking quiet cozy, if somewhat annoyed. Luke wanted nothing more than to crawl back in beside her.

Instead, he pulled on the first pair of pants he found, saying, "I can't do that."

"You can't tell one little white lie?"

The person knocked again.

"The last time I actually was sick, people kept coming over and bringing me tea and soup. Is that what you want here?"

"No…" Mara thought for a moment, then had an idea, "Okay, tell them that your sister called about secret Republic business and you're not to be disturbed."

"What? That's not…no." Luke shook his head. He could sense that the person outside the door was growing impatient. He took a deep breath to calm himself then opened the door and slipped out.

Apparently his students had become concerned when he never showed up for his first class of the day and, when they realized nobody had seen him at morning physical training either, another teacher was sent to track him down. Thinking on his feet, Luke reassured his friend and, ignoring her slightly bewildered response, a few minutes later told her goodbye and slipped back into his room.

"Well?" Mara raised an eyebrow.

Luke smiled, "I said that I'm taking a holiday. I cancelled all of my classes for today."

"Oh?"

It was highly unusual for him to do something so impulsive, almost bordering on irresponsible, but Luke felt good about his decision. It would have felt wrong to simply carry on with his day like nothing had changed.

He sat on the bed next to Mara, adding, "I want to spend the day with you."

"Okay," she smiled, "And what do you have in mind?"

Luke packed some food, a blanket, and a bottle of Correlian ale that he'd been saving and they headed out on his speeder bike into the jungle. Luke deftly piloted the bike through the trees, Mara sitting behind him and holding on tight, until they came to his secret spot.

The thick jungle gave way to a stream that had pooled into a small lake at the base of a thin waterfall that snaked down moss covered rocks. The air was cool and fresh as Luke and Mara stood on a large, flat boulder overlooking the pristine view.

"How did you ever find this place?" Mara asked.

"I happened across it by chance one day. Sometimes I come out here to meditate," Luke said.

He spread the blanket out on a dry spot and started setting out the food. As they ate and talked, it occurred to Luke that this was the first time in a very long time that they had a chance to just talk, to joke around and catch up with each other's lives. When Mara first arrived on Yavin IV, he'd been completely preoccupied with figuring out what had happened to her and if she was staying. Then he'd dove in to her Jedi training, not to mention dealing with his growing feelings for her.

Now, surrounded by unblemished nature, they both let their guards down and simply enjoyed each other's company. Mara told him about some of the more interesting adventures and debacles she'd gotten into the past few years and he caught her up on his own life. The hours passed easily.

When the food was gone and the Corellian ale nearly finished, Luke and Mara sat on the edge of the rock, letting their bare feet dangle in the water. They watched tiny fish dart by. They listened to birds calling in the trees.

"Luke," Mara said, and he tilted his head to look at her. She had a thoughtful expression. "You know, at first I told myself that I came back here because I had nowhere else to go. But I think all along I was coming back to you."

"I love you."

Luke smiled. He wished he could freeze this moment in time. _I love you, too_ , he sent through the Force. He touched her face gently and leaned in for a kiss.

"Will you marry me?" Luke asked.

Mara blinked and for half a second Luke was terrified, because was it too soon to ask such a thing? Was he crazy? But then Mara smiled, her eyes sparkling, and she said one word.

"Yes."

She took his hands in hers and through the Force he could feel everything behind that one word. He could feel the brightness of her love, how she wanted more than anything to stay by his side, to spend the rest of their lives together. After everything they'd both been through, all the impossible challenges and personal sacrifices, they were finally, truly and completely happy.

…..

The End!

A/N: You should know that this in this AU nobody in the Skywalker/Solo families ever turns to the dark side or has an untimely death. They all live happily ever after, having various adventures and saving the galaxy from time to time.

Thank you for following this story and for all the lovely reviews. May the Force be with you!


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